Come Tell Your Story at ILC’s 2021 Annual Conference

• Jeff Eckhoff

Do you have a Continuous Improvement story to tell? If so, we want to hear about it.

The Iowa Lean Consortium is pleased to issue a call for presentations for our 2021 Annual Conference to be held on October 26-27.  This will be a hybrid event, with the main conference taking place Prairie Meadows Events & Conference Center in Altoona. There will be satellite locations throughout the state for smaller gatherings, and there will be a virtual option.

ALERT: New Tax Credits Support On-the-clock Vaccination

• Jeff Eckhoff

CIRAS and other members of the MEP National Network are sharing this message to alert manufacturers to important news about new tax credits available to help companies assist their workers with COVID-19 vaccinations:

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden called on employers across America to do everything they can to help their employees – and their communities – get vaccinated. As part of that effort, President Biden is calling on every employer in America to offer full pay to their employees for any time off needed to get vaccinated and for any time it takes to recover from the after-effects of vaccination. Now is the time to step up our efforts to reach every working-age adult in America, and today’s announcement to help employers offset the cost of paid time off is an important step in getting America’s workforce vaccinated.

Did You Know?… How PTAC Helps with Bidding

• Jeff Eckhoff

Besides helping you with your government vendor registrations and figuring out tricky interpretations of contract clauses or requirements, PTAC counselors also can help small businesses during the bidding process! But how?

Gilcrest/Jewett Finds Success in Bringing Lean to Lumber

• Jeff Eckhoff

A 165-year-old Des Moines lumber company has gained new efficiencies, better customer service, and a tangible reduction in injuries after its employees embraced continuous improvement. Rick Kyser, operations manager at Gilcrest/Jewett Lumber Company, said company leaders have seen a massive cultural shift since the lumberyard took its first steps toward Lean management at the end … Continue reading Gilcrest/Jewett Finds Success in Bringing Lean to Lumber

Plan Now to Be Ready for Bad Weather

• Jeff Eckhoff

April showers in Iowa quickly can turn dangerous thanks to flash flooding.

CIRAS wants to take this opportunity to remind you yet again about the potential peril that can come with severe weather season. Are you ready?

As the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us, Iowa companies always come out better when they plan for the worst and take steps ahead of time to identify what should happen if trouble strikes

Did You Know?…Iowa DOT Small Business Development Contracts Program

• Jeff Eckhoff

The Iowa Department of Transportation offers a program specific to small business contractors where small businesses compete against each other and not against large contractors. This program, separate from the DBE Certification, is called the Small Business Development Contracts Program. To be eligible for this, a small business must become a Certified Small Business Contractor (CSBC) by meeting the requirements through the Iowa DOT’s Civil Rights Bureau. (Note: There is no ethnic or gender limitation for this program.)

To become a CSBC, and to bid on the small business contracts, follow the steps below:

Register Now for Business Analytics Symposium

• Jeff Eckhoff

Registration is now open for the Iowa State University’s first virtual Business Analytics Symposium, hosted by the Ivy College of Business.

Now in its fifth year, the April 6 symposium will feature a new format – four influential keynote speakers over two half-day sessions, with one breakout session each day.

Ready for In-Person Events? Let us know.

• Jeff Eckhoff

CIRAS, like most of the rest of the world, called a halt to in-person educational events last year when the COVID-19 pandemic began to take hold. We didn’t like it. We didn’t want to. But we did what we thought was best for your health and the health of our staff – and in the process, we launched hundreds of detailed video webinars that since have been viewed by thousands of Iowa business people.

Now, as vaccines roll out and the case counts fall, we’re starting to ponder what the future will look like for CIRAS events